Interruptions
by Vyvyan the Rabbit
Summary: A special birthday party. Extensive plans for a great night. All ruined by a few too many interruptions. SonAmy,TailReam, KnuxAde, SilvAze, OCxOC. Rated T for language and occasional strong violence.   I appreciate any and all reviews.
1. Chapter 1

**Interruptions**

**...And yes, this IS a TailsxCream story. Just be patient.**

**Chapter 1 – Enter Two Hedgehogs**

The Mobius landscape glowed with the golden rays of the sun. Everything was still and hushed, taking in the phenomenon known as nature. The feeling of summer hung in the air, even though it was midway through October. A streak of cobalt suddenly flashed over the hill, shattering the tranquility with pattering footsteps.

"Not even a breeze," muttered the blue creature to himself. Sonic the Hedgehog was trying to generate some kind of wind for a pink hedgehog, a little further away. He chuckled lightly. "Guess I just gotta go _faster_!" He made a sharp turn to the right and tore away even quicker than before. The other hedgehog was coming quickly into view.

"Sonic, don't trip now," called the pink hedgehog. Amy Rose was sitting on a small quilt with a picnic basket next to her. She braced herself for the sensation that was quickly approaching.

"Heh, don't worry about me," Sonic said to himself. He took in a quick breath and curled into a ball, giving him even more speed. He, as a small sphere, shot past the blanket, giving Amy the chills. A brief second later, a huge front of wind blew past her, making her quills, the picnic basket, and all the food fly behind her head.

"Great, now who's going to clean that up," Amy muttered. She fussed over her quills, and felt for her phone... "Uh-oh." She looked all around the blanket for both of their phones. She ended up sitting on hers, but couldn't find Sonic's.

"What's up, Ames?" Amy looked up. Sonic was looking down at her, grinning.

"You just lost your phone because of all that speed," she said. "And all the food's somewhere over there now." She pointed to the west.

_Damn it, _he thought. _There were two more chili dogs left..._ "Sorry about the food, Ames," he said quietly.

"Never mind that," she said. "I'll just have to make you more chili dogs when we get home." She winked at him. "I'm more concerned about your phone, anyway. Didn't Tails say something about calling you today?"

"Oh, yeah," he grunted. "Be right back." He turned and sped away. Amy was about to say something when she heard a small noise behind her.

_Vrrrrng, vrrrrng._

"Huh?" She walked over to where she thought the sound was. Off in the grass a little ways, a small dark-blue phone was vibrating, signaling a new text. The new-text ID read a single word - "Tails".

"I _thought_ I heard something," Sonic said. Amy sighed and got up, nearly tripping over the picnic basket. "Yeah, I found it. It wasn't that far." He looked down at his phone. "Mind if I check?"

"Hold on," said Amy quietly. Sonic sighed and rolled his eyes, but his pouting was interrupted. Amy kissed him gently on the lips, making him both appreciate the moment and realize how chapped his lips were.

_Damn,_ he thought. _I need to drink more water, or put on some balm or something. _He crossly ran his gloved finger over his lips.

"Now you can see it," said Amy. She saw him still fussing over his lips. "Hey, are you listening?"

"Huh?" Sonic stopped mulling over his thoughts to look at his phone. "So _there's_ the thing Tails was talking about." He took the phone from Amy to open the text.

It read: "If you've received this text from me, then you're invited to a surprise party for Cream's birthday party! Now, it's a SURPRISE for a reason – so don't tell her whatever you do! It's in two days, so take this extra day to ge" It just ended there.

"Umm," said Amy, "why does it just stop there? Do you think he just accidentally hit send?"

"Wait," muttered Sonic. His phone vibrated again to reveal the second part of Tails' text.

"-t any gifts that you want to get her. Hope to see you there! -Ge4rh3ad5_Unite!"

Amy laughed. " Is that his signature?" she asked Sonic.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "So, does that mean that our date is over, and we have to go shopping now?"

Amy gave him a sad look. "Looks like it," she mumbled.

He sighed. "What is it with all these interruptions lately," he muttered. "Whatever, might as well. It's getting cold." He picked up the picnic basked, but suddenly smelled something. "I-is that..." He opened the lid. "CHILI DOG!" He grabbed it and scarfed it down in two seconds.

"Glad that little compartment came to good use," said Amy quietly. She picked up the blanket while Sonic was trying to get any last remnants of chili off of his glove and into his mouth. She looked at the mid-day sun settling over a tree in the distance.

"Hey, I'll race you home!" Sonic called, making Amy look back. "You get a head start, okay?"

"Alright then," she said to herself. "I get to test these new boots!" She tucked the blanket tightly under her arm and started running.

_That should be long enough,_ thought Sonic. He took in a breath and sped off, aiming for Amy and Station Square. Something weird was in the air, but he shook it off. "If something interrupts me right now, I'll go crazy," he said quietly.

**Hey!**

**I felt like doing a joint story with everyone in it, so let's see how it works out...**

**A late Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you people celebrate) from Vyvyan.**

**And now, I shall be off.**

**-Usagi**


	2. Darkness on the Hill

**Chapter 2 – Darkness on the Hill**

There was silence on the hills. Nothing seemed to be moving, or even alive at that particular moment. Nothing, that is, except for a black hedgehog with a peculiar green gem in his hand.

_It's a shame that this isn't how life is all the time_, he thought gravely. He did a motion with his hands, and the gem disappeared in a flash of green and red. At the same time, everything started to move again, causing the hedgehog to growl quietly. "What good is Chaos Control if it's only for a limited time," he muttered. Shadow turned and skated down the face of the hill, where the sounds of a city were fast approaching. "Such pathetic beings," he grunted.

The sound of wings flapping gently behind him made him turn around. "What are you doing out here, grumpy?" asked the female bat.

Shadow grunted again and turned to face the city again. "Nothing," he said shortly. They both felt a breeze and looked down. A blue sphere was tearing across the field(_What's that faker doing here,_ thought Shadow), almost directly at them. Suddenly, a huge front of wind flew past them, making the bat shiver.

"Hmph, it's just a little wind, Rouge," sneered Shadow. Suddenly, something warm and chunky hit him in the back of the head. He heard something land at his feet. A small bun with little drips of chili was sitting there, and a strip of meat fell from his quills with a "splat."

Rouge started laughing. "I think the chili likes you," she chirped with a grin.

Shadow said nothing, and shut his eyes. He suddenly curled into a ball. "Hrrrrrrrrrraaaghh!" His grunts were unintelligible as he started to spin incredibly fast.

"Oh, boy," said Rouge quickly. She started to fly as fast as she could, but the chili from Shadow's quills started to fly in all directions. Some ground beef and a small bean hit Rouge in the nose. "Damn it, Shadow!" she yelled, but he suddenly disappeared. She could've sworn that she heard "chaos control" on the wind. "I'll never understand him." She landed and looked at the hill. Chili was strewn all over the place, except for down where the blue sphere was. She looked, and saw that the blue sphere was actually Sonic, and Amy was a little ways away. "Oh, this is _precious_," she said maliciously. She pulled out her phone to take a picture, but it started to vibrate when she grabbed it. "What now?" she muttered.

She flipped it open, revealing a new text from Tails. "If you've received this text from me, then you're invited to a surprise party for Cream's birthday party! Now, it's a SURPRISE for a reason – so don't tell her whatever you do! It's in two days, so take this extra day to ge". She stopped.

"Why does it just stop right there?" she wondered aloud. Her curiosity was soon resolved, because her phone vibrated again. "-t any gifts that you want to get her. Hope to see you there! -Ge4rh3ad5_Unite!"

"Got to give the fox credit," she said quietly. "His signature is a little stupid, but he's still got a girl that cares about him." She sent a quick reply, saying that "I'll be there" and looked over the hill to see if the two hedgehogs were still there. Much to her disappointment, only Sonic was still there, and he quickly left.

"All these nuisances," she said crossly. She turned and decided to look for Shadow, but she didn't have to look very far. Shadow was skating away from a strange sky-blue orb that seemed to be tracking him.

"Damn it, Silver," he hissed quietly. He suddenly turned sharply and headed up the hill, running face-first into Rouge.

"Okay, Shadow," a voice yelled, "that was one mishap too many!" Suddenly, a silver hedgehog with the same sky-blue matter pulsing form his palms appeared behind the two. He pulled his hand back to force another orb at the dark hedgehog...

"That's _enough!_" A female voice suddenly rang out, and the sky-blue matter suddenly disappeared. A purple cat with a coat on had the silver hedgehog by the arm. To Rouge, it looked like her gloves were on fire. She turned to face them, and both Shadow and Rouge saw that it wasn't _just_ her gloves that were on fire. Her eyes were on fire as well, and the light from the receding sun made them turn a fine shade of scarlet.

"Are you both okay?" the cat asked, the fire calming down a little.

"Uhh, Blaze," the silver hedgehog stuttered, "y-you saw what he did, right?"

Blaze spun around, a flaming fingertip right at the hedgehog's nose. "He didn't hurt anything," she said darkly, "and so I think you'd better calm down, Silver."

Silver squirmed. "Ugh, fine," he grunted. "But if he interrupts us one more time, don't complain to me."

…

**Hello again, and happy 2011.**

**It's about _time..._**

**School started again on Monday, so updates will be a little slower. Bear with me, okay?...**

**So it looks like there's at least one more guest at Cream's party, not to Mention Sonic and Amy.**

**But there's bound to be more...**

**-Usagi**


	3. A New Rift

**Chapter 3 – A New Rift**

In a clearing of the Mobian mountains, there is a decrepit little wooden shack that used to serve as a pub some time before. It was a very popular place for a quick drink or meal after a hike or bike ride in the hills, but a storm ravaged through the mountains years ago, destroying the little hut. It was eventually condemned, due to unsafe masonry. There were plenty of rumors revolving the place, as would any old building with only four brick walls, a rotting roof, and a door hanging precariously to the side.

Anyway, it was a normal day in October, and the same usual events were happening that afternoon. A few train whistles were audible on the hills due to a light breeze, and a couple of hedgehogs were on their way to the clearing to the east of the fields for a quick lunch date. Oblivious to them, something was happening inside said building. A pin could've been heard dropping inside, and there were cobwebs, numerous icky bugs, and a couple of squirrels inside.

Suddenly there was a flash, and the bugs scurried away, but the squirrels started to sniff at the small light. Immediately after, a rift hole shot open, causing the squirrels to stare in both amazement and blissful unawareness. A foot and gloves emerged from the rift. The squirrels' fur started to singe off, from both the vacuum of the rift and fire coming out of the aforementioned gloves.

Only the shadow of a cat was visible to the singed eyes of the squirrels. She gently knelt over them and picked one of them up gingerly.

"Oh, no," she said quietly. "I hope you're okay, little creature." She gently put him down next to his bare-skinned acquaintance. A sky blue aura-like material appeared through the rift, causing it to shut.

"Are you okay, Blaze?" A voice came through the aura, and a gleaming (to the cat, anyway) silver hedgehog stepped forward. The aura, actually called psychokinesis, was gently pulsing from his hands.

"Silver," Blaze said quietly, "I think I hurt these two squirrels." She lifted one up to show him. "I feel horrible."

Silver put his hand out over the squirrel's midsection. He concentrated, making the psychokinesis come back. "He seems alright to me," he said, much to Blaze's relief.

"Oh, good," she sighed. "At least it was just his fur. Thank you, Silver." She put the squirrel down, and he scurried out the door with his friend, both squeaking and clicking a little bit. She stood up slowly. She suddenly felt something buzz in her pocket.

"Hm?" She pulled out a phone. Tails made it for her when he was in her universe. It could receive and send calls and texts in either universe, in case she wanted to talk to Sonic or someone else. "I still don't get how this works," she said crossly, fumbling with the buzzing phone.

"Here, let me see it," said Silver quickly. He grabbed it and punched a few buttons. "Oh, it's two texts from Tails. Do you want to read it?" He offered the phone to her.

She took it and looked at the small blue screen. "If you've received this text from me, then you're invited to a surprise party for Cream's birthday party! Now, it's a SURPRISE for a reason – so don't tell her whatever you do! It's in two days, so take this extra day to get any gifts that you want to get her. Hope to see you there! -Ge4rh3ad5_Unite!"

"Oh, how cool!" Blaze said. She handed Silver the phone. "Send a reply saying that we'll both be there, okay?" She turned to face a hole in one of the walls. _I wonder what a "Ge4rh3ad5" is, _she thought.

He sighed. "Alright, alright, fine," he muttered. He took it and quickly sent a reply. There was a small ping, and he handed the phone back to Blaze. "I said that we'd both be there, okay?"

She was about to say something when they both heard a loud 'crack' and something squeal outside. They were about to look outside, but a streak of black and yellow burst in through the hole and slammed against the back of the building. Silver thought that he recognized the now knocked-out creature, but a loud crack interrupted his thoughts.

Blaze looked around nervously. "What was that?" she asked quickly. _And why does it smell like chili?_

A huge orb of sky-blue formed around the both of them. Silver had suddenly called out his psychokinesis again, because a huge slab of brick was about three feet from their heads. "B-Blaze, go!" he shouted. She caught on and ran out of the hole in the wall. Then she saw what squealed a minute earlier.

One of the squirrels from earlier was caressing his tail tenderly. There was what looked like a scorch mark on his rear and tail, but she recognized the shape of the burn. A small jet made that shape, and she only knew one person with jet shoes...

Silver was starting to shake from the weight of the slab of roof still in his aura-like grasp. "H-hurry and wake _up_, Shadow!" he hissed. He groaned and felt the roof start to slide from his grip. "Agh! Blaze, move!" He called to her, but she instead walked inside of the building again. "What the hell are you _doing_?" he screamed.

Blaze said nothing, but instead grabbed the unconscious black hedgehog and started to carry him outside. Silver's mouth flew open. "Stop ogling and get rid of that," Blaze said quickly. Silver sighed and waited until they were both outside.

"Hraagh!" He shouted and threw the slab to the east. He gasped and slumped to his knees. "B-Blaze," he panted. "Where are you?"

"Over here," she called. Silver stood up heavily, and started to trudge over to where he heard her voice. "He's still out cold." She pointed to where the hedgehog was laying.

"You can't just do that out-of-the-blue hero work," said Silver. "I could've dropped that on you."

"I couldn't just leave him in there," said Blaze. Silver suddenly felt a warm feeling inside – she risked her life to save someone that she didn't really care for?

"I want to make him see what he did to this poor squirrel," she said.

Silver sighed. _Damn,_ he thought. _She can be so narrow-minded sometimes, and that'll get her in trouble one day_. He got up and heard Shadow grunt. "I think he's getting up," he said quickly.

Shadow groaned and opened one eye slowly. "Huh?" He didn't expect to see a certain cat or hedgehog where he was, but that's what he got.

Blaze knelt down next to him. "Can you see?" she asked quickly.

Shadow grunted and got up slowly. "I'm fine," he muttered.

A hand suddenly met his face in a surprisingly burning slap. "Then you can tell me what you did to this squirrel!" Blaze pointed to the animal, only to see that it was happily playing with his friend some ways away. "Oh." Her skin flushed. "Well, I guess it's no harm done?" She laughed nervously.

Shadow grunted and pushed her face, making her fall. Silver's muzzle turned a red that'd rival Shadow's eyes. "You're _dead_!" he screamed, calling out his psychokinesis.

Shadow quickly turned and skated towards a hill. "Damn it, Silver," he grunted quietly. Something entered his vision, and he turned his head to look. _Rouge is still here_, he thought.

Silver quickly used his PK and forced Shadow to the right. He flew directly into Rouge, sending them both sprawling.

A little ways behind the commotion, Blaze was running to make sure Silver didn't hurt anybody. "Okay, Shadow," she heard him yell, "that was one mishap too many!" Blaze, feeling oddly warm, came into a clearing to see Silver pulling back his hand to throw some more psychokinesis at them.

"That's _enough_!" She lunged for Silver's arm, but noticed that her glove was burning a little. She grabbed his arm anyway, figuring it'd calm him down more. Silver winced and pulled his hand back, making him lose his balance. Blaze turned to face Shadow and Rouge, who was practically on top of him. They seemed to be staring at her face, but she paid it no mind. "Are you both okay?" she asked them.

Silver started to stutter. "Uhh, Blaze," he squeaked, "y-you saw what he did, right?"

Blaze spun around, pointing a flaming fingertip right at his nose. "He didn't hurt anything," she said darkly, "and so I think you'd better calm down, Silver."

Silver squirmed. "Ugh, fine," he grunted. "But if he interrupts us one more time, don't complain to me." He got up heavily.

"To answer your question," Rouge said sternly, "we're fine." She got up, pulling on Shadow's back-quills. "_Aren't_ we?" she sneered at him.

"Just peachy," Shadow growled. He brushed himself off and turned away from the group.

"So what're you doing out here?" asked Rouge. "I don't usually see you two."

"Tails helped us make a rift gate that lets us switch from time period to time period," said Blaze, "and he said that he'd contact us about something today."

"Oh, you got invited too?" asked Rouge with a smile. "Well, that makes three guests at Cream's party, unless..." She turned around. "Hey! Are you going or what?" she called to Shadow.

He turned around. "Where?" he asked quietly.

"Cream's birthday party, day after tomorrow," said Silver.

Shadow turned again. "Not interested." He started to walk away.

"Fine," said Rouge loudly. "Then Cream will be all sad because _Mr. Shadow _couldn't make it, and even though we'll try and have her calm down," (Shadow grunted again) "she'll be crying for a while, because you had to be so rude."

"Fine, fine, damn," he yelled. Then he disappeared in a flash of green.

Rouge grinned. "That's four, now. Let's hope everything goes smoothly," she chirped.

**…**

**Hello again. **

**School's a bit of a pain already... Ugh. I don't mind Economics, just it can be boring...**

**Everything is starting to come together, far as the guests.**

**Sorry if anybody was OOC (especially Blaze or Silver) in this last one.**

**I dunno when any updates are coming on, so bear with me...**

**A fond Abayo! (So long)**

**-Usagi**


	4. LastMinute Friends

**Chapter 4 – Last-Minute Friends**

Even in the wee hours of dark-thirty the morning, there was a light emitting from a small workshop on a hill a ways from the city. Every now and then, a shadow could be seen hovering through the window in the front, but there was always something trailing behind it – sometimes limp, sometimes bristling with a jolt of energy. The shadow disappeared for a little while, and the front door of the workshop opened slowly, as if to greet the morning sun.

A gentle shade of yellow fur started to gain more fullness as the sun rose higher in the sky. The fur belonged to a young, twin-tailed fox that was known throughout the community as a brilliant mechanic and an all-around friend. The fox stretched a little bit, a soft crack coming from his back.

"Ohh, that feels good," he groaned. He sat down and felt his fur warm up slightly. _I still have so much work to do,_ he thought, _and these five hour energies aren't really helping me stay awake._ _But, it _is_ nice to be able to take a break. _

A soft thud on the other side of the door made the fox jump a bit. The door creaked open to reveal a white and black rabbit in blue sleep pants, rubbing one of his dark red eyes. A piece of his right ear was missing, but he didn't seem to mind. "Hey, Tails," he said. "What're you doing up so early?" The rabbit knelt next to the fox and sighed.

"Morning, Usagi," Tails said quietly. "I still have a lot of work to do, but I thought I'd take a small break." He yawned.

Usagi looked at the sky. "I can imagine," he said quietly. "All this preparing for later on... What's happening?"

Tails groaned. "I still have to go to the store to get a gift, get all the food, and update-" he stopped. "Sorry, it's a surprise."

"Oh, okay," Usagi said with a shrug. He got up and stretched. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, Tails."

Tails got up too. "Of course. Don't worry about it." They both walked inside.

Usagi started to go up the stairs. "I'm going to get dressed, okay?" he asked.

"Sure, sure," said Tails. There was a click from a door upstairs, and Tails started going over what still had to be done. "All that gift business has to be taken care of, and the cake needs to be baked, and I need to get the burgers, corn, soda and punch. Oh, is Usagi a vegetarian or not?"

As if on cue, Usagi quickly slid down the banister. He was in his general attire – black gloves, striped red and black socks with green and black hi-top shoes. "I'm back. Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"Well, would you mind washing the dishes or something?" Tails asked.

Usagi cringed. "Umm, could I pass on that?" he asked quickly. "I don't like water."

Tails looked at him. "Aren't rabbits okay with water?" he asked. He started to think for a minute. _Cream loves to swim,_ he thought,_ so I wonder why he's so jumpy all of a sudden? _

"Well," Usagi sighed, "_rabbits _don't mind water. I'm a 'cabbit,' and I take the cat part with water."

Tails stared. _A_ _cat and a rabbit?_ "Oh, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Then I guess you can go to the store with me, if you want."

"It's okay," the hybrid mumbled. "Sure, that sounds good. When are we going?"

Whenever," Tails said. "I just have to change my socks and shoes, okay?"

Usagi nodded and walked towards the front window. His nose twitched twice."Sorry about being afraid, Tails," he called.

Tails took one last look at the rabbit staring outside. "It's okay," he said. "Even I'm afraid of some things."

Usagi turned around to say something, but he only saw two fluffy tails slip inside of the room next to his. He turned back to face the window. _At least stay in the room if you're gonna talk to me,_ he thought bitterly. _Why does everyone do that to me?_ He sighed.

Tails walked out into the hall with his good shoes on. "Hey, are you ready?" he asked.

The rabbit's nose twitched again. "Huh?" he said quietly. "Oh, yeah." They both got into a small plane, dubbed the "Tornado," and prepared for takeoff.

Tails turned in his seat. "You're not afraid of heights, right?" he asked.

Usagi smiled. "Course not," he beamed. "I jump high too much to be afraid."

"Okay, good," said Tails. He flipped a switch and the engine roared. Suddenly, the plane started rolling and rising into the air. Once they were clear of the garage, Tails pulled back on the throttle and the plane flew straight up in the air. Both Tails and Usagi were unwillingly grinning from the G's the plane was generating. Finally, Tails leveled out when they were about to touch the clouds.

"Whew," Usagi panted, "that was groovy. Let's do it again, but going down!"

"Maybe on the way back, alright?" said Tails. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and navigated the plane into the city.

"Where are we going, anyway?" asked Usagi.

"To the _mall!_" Tails said, emphasizing 'mall' like a girl would. They both laughed.

"Okay," said Usagi when they finished laughing. "What are you getting Cream?"

"You'll see tomorrow," said Tails with a small smile.

Usagi sighed. "Alright," he muttered. _I hate waiting to find things out,_ he thought._ What if something comes up and you never find out what the surprise was?_ Through a small tear, he looked down through the window. "Isn't that the mall right there?"

Tails, slyly noticing Usagi's reaction to his previous comment, looked down. "Oh, yeah," he said. He steered them gently down.

"Where do you usually park?" asked Usagi.

"On the movie theater," said Tails. "See? Over there." He pointed to the right.

"Oh, yeah," said Usagi distantly. His thoughts raged over his hearing in a silent riot. _That theatre is really familiar. Probably not a good thing, though..._

"Hey!" Cotton and yellow fur entered his vision. "Are you still here?"

"What?" Usagi snapped back into his head with a twitch of his nose. Tails was waving his hand in front of him. "Uh, yeah," he mumbled. "Are we going?"

"Yeah, c'mon!" Tails pulled him out of his seat.

Usagi nearly tripped over his own ear before getting situated. "Whoa, take it easy!" he said.

"Sorry," said Tails quietly. "Can you get down okay?"

Usagi, ever ready to prove himself, said nothing and jumped over the edge. He flipped once before landing firmly on his feet. There was a dull 'clank' when he landed. "That's a yes," he called.

Tails said nothing, but laughed. He flew down to meet him. "Glad to hear it," he said smoothly. They started walking into the hallway where the mall started. "By the way," said Tails suddenly, "what was that 'clank' when you landed?"

Usagi stopped and clicked his heels together, resulting in a soft 'tink' sound. Then he lifted one of his feet up. There was a dim reflection of one of the lights off of the sheet of metal that made up the sole of his shoes. "Custom made," he said, "for grinding. Super-thin layer of steel so I don't have a problem with the weight."

Tails looked at the design – there seemed to be a typical waffle sole for grip, but it was made of steel. There was a flat part on the arch of them. "A great design," Tails said quietly.

"Thanks," Usagi said, putting his foot back down. His left ear cocked up slightly. "I think this is about to be cut short." He shifted to the left about two feet, and a burst of light-brown fur shot past him.

Tails was about to question him when he felt his chest compress. "H-huh?" He suddenly felt very warm and soft. He realized what happened and put his arms around a mass of cloth. "Hi, Cream," he whispered.

**He-freaking-llo!**

**I have been busy as hell. Sorry.**

**Hey, there's some OC action, finally! (Happy, Delta? =3)**

**A quick note – I know that "theater" is spelled different between the two Mobians. I just happen to think of it spelled the British way, and, well... Usagi IS modeled after me, so...**

**Hope you enjoyed it recently, and the full story is starting to come into play.**

**-Usagi**


	5. A Lover's Mall

**Chapter 5 – A Lover's Mall**

First there was light, then warmth. Finally, a small sound was enough to fully separate a small, light brown rabbit from her dreams.

"Chao, chao!" said a voice. The rabbit opened one of her eyes, and instantly held up a hand to shield them from the incoming sunlight. "Chao chao!" the voice said again.

The rabbit looked down. The voice was coming from a small, light blue teardrop-shaped creature floating in front of her nose. "Oh, good morning, Cheese," she said with a yawn. She sat up and stretched while looking at the calendar on her nightstand. _One more day,_ she thought, somehow happy and disappointed at the same time. _I can't wait to be fourteen! _She kicked off her covers and instantly shivered. _I forgot that I didn't wear socks last night. _She got up and sat on the windowsill in an effort to warm herself.

There was a knock on her door. "Cream, dear?" a feminine voice called. Her door opened, and a tall female rabbit poked her head in. "Are you awake?" she asked.

"Yes, mom!" Cream said cheerfully. She decided to try out her subtlety like Amy had showed her. "Umm, are we going anywhere today?" she asked quickly.

"We're going shopping after breakfast, but other than that, no," Vanilla replied. "Why?"

Cream shrugged happily. "Oh, no reason," she said, giggling to herself.

Vanilla could sense her excitement. "Well," she said, "breakfast will be ready in about fifteen minutes, so be ready to go by then, okay?"

Cream go down from the window. "Sure, mom." Vanilla smiled and shut the door. "Yay, we get to go to the mall today!" she told Cheese.

"Chao chao," he said, ever indifferent. Cream just shrugged and went to take care of her morning grooming.

**...**

Cream skipped lightly down the stairs, where the smell of flour and strawberries greeted her. "Are we having pancakes or waffles?" she called out.

"Yes," replied Vanilla. Both mother and daughter shared a laugh. "To celebrate your last day of being thirteen, we're having both."

Cream jumped up and hugged her. "Thank you, mom!"

"You're welcome, dear," whispered Vanilla. They released each other, and Cream started to set the table. Minutes later, they were both sitting, eating their sweet meal. "May I ask," said Vanilla, "why you were wondering if we were going anywhere?"

Cream hiccuped and looked at her half-eaten breakfast. "I was just wondering," she said as calmly as she could. She looked at her mother's stern, yet calm, face. _Uh-oh..._ "I just... would like to go out today?"

Vanilla smiled. "It's okay if you want to see Miles," she said (Cream hiccuped again at the mention of his name), "but I'd like it if the question was straightforward, okay? No more hinting at what you want."

"I'm sorry, mom," said Cream softly. She sighed and put down her fork.

"Oh, it's okay, dear," said Vanilla. She got up and hugged her daughter. "It's often easier if you just ask for what you want instead of hinting all the time." She heard Cream sniff and let her go. "Are you okay?"

Cream nodded. "I'm fine, mom." She looked up at the clock. **11:42 AM.** _Oh,_ she thought,_ Tails said something about going at noon. _She sat down to finish her breakfast. "So, can we still go to the mall?" she asked after wiping away a strawberry.

"_May_ we," suggested Vanilla.

Cream sighed silently. "_May _we go to the mall please?"

"Yes, but we need to go for actual _shopping_ as well," Vanilla called from the sink, "so bear in mind we won't stay all day."

"Thank you, mother!" said Cream happily. She scarfed down her last pancake (much to Vanilla's distaste), put her plate in the sink, and tore upstairs to grab Cheese and her wallet. Soon, they were in their little convertible on their way to the mall. Cheese was channeling his inner dog – he was sitting with his head out to the side, his tongue being pulled along behind him.

"Cheese," Cream called, "please be careful."

"Chao cha- *gack!*" Cheese tried to reply, but a fly flew straight down his throat. Cream pulled him into her seat in an effort to help him, but he simply coughed up the fly and it flew away.

Vanilla, ever vigilant, asked, "Are you two okay?" Her eyes, however, never left the road.

"We're fine, mom," said Cream quickly. Cheese wheezed out a "Chao" for a reply. _How does she do that? _Cream thought._ She saw that something was wrong, but never looked away from the road..._

"Okay," said Vanilla, "but please be careful. I don't want anyone to swallow a _bug_ or something." Her eye flickered to the rear view mirror for a brief second.

Cheese grumbled a little at her remark, but kept his head inside the rest of the trip.

**...**

"Wow," whispered Cream. "Is something happening today? Why are there so many people?"

"That's just how the parking structure usually looks, dear," said Vanilla gravely. She usually didn't mind parking at a mall, but having been cut off three times (not to mention _flipped _off once) had her patience wear abnormally thin.

Cream sighed and looked out the windows of the structure. _I wonder if Tails is here yet,_ she thought. A flash of red caught her eye. Something was hovering above the movie theater, towards their left. She gasped. _He's here! He's here!_

"Cream, please be careful!" cried Vanilla. Instinctively, Cream ducked, pulled her head back and closed her eyes. After a couple seconds, she opened one eye. A large black SUV with its reverse lights on had appeared exactly where her head was before.

"What the #%&, lady?" the driver of the Hummer, a black badger, yelled. He was both fuming and concerned at the same time.

"I'm very sorry, sir," called Cream. She blushed at the colourful language of the badger.

"Ah, yeah, just glad I didn't hurt ya," he muttered. He drove off in a cloud of smoke.

"How _rude_," said Vanilla darkly. "Cream, you can't just stand out of the car like that. You may get hurt."

"Yes, mother," she said quickly. She looked to her left to see if whatever was hovering over the theater was still there, but she didn't see anything. "Oh," she sighed. She looked down at Cheese, only to find that he was asleep. "Is that a spot, mom?" She pointed to the right.

"Oh, yes," said Vanilla, who sounded rather relieved. "Good eyes, dear! Thank you." She turned the convertible into the spot and turned off the ignition. "Are you okay, dear?"

Cream was holding her head in her palm on the window. "Hmm?" she asked in a daze. "Oh, yes, I'm fine." She smiled. She woke up Cheese, much to his disappointment, and they started walking towards the entrance. "Did you ever go to that theater, mom?" she asked, noticing that it was right next to the entrance.

"Once, years ago," Vanilla recalled. "It's been there for a long time, since I was in high school." Vanilla was lost in her memories while they walked into the entrance. A dull 'tink' brought both of their attentions toward two characters standing by the wall. One was a white rabbit that they had never seen before, and the other was...

Suddenly, Cream tore towards them with surprising speed. The white rabbit cocked up his left ear, and stood aside. Cream flew into the unsuspecting arms of a yellow fox kneeling on the floor, apparently looking at the rabbit's shoes.

He embraced her back gently. "Hi, Ceam," he whispered.

"Oh, Tails, you're here!" Cream squealed. She pulled her head back and kissed him on the cheek softly.

Tails laughed. "I missed you too." They both stood up and held each other's hand. The white rabbit stood off to the side meekly. His eyes were darting every which way, except at them.

"Tails, who's your friend?" Cream asked noticing his silent counterpart.

"Oh, this is Usagi," said Tails, gesturing to him.  
Usagi's eyes finally landed on Cream. "Hullo, how are you?" he asked quietly.

"I'm great," said Cream happily. "Nice to meet you."

"Same to you," Usagi said, feeling a little more confident.

Vanilla walked up behind them. Tails turned and greeted her, and the five of them walked off together. "It's good to see you again, Miles."

"Great to see you too, Vanilla," he replied. "How are you doing back home?"

"Just wonderful, dear," she replied. "Thank you for asking." She looked at Usagi walking next to her, and he instantly turned his head the other way. "What's your name, dear?"

_She sure says 'dear' a lot,_ thought Usagi. "It's Usagi," he squeaked. _DAMN it! Why does my voice always squeak when I talk with someone new?_

"What an original name," said Vanilla, silently giggling at his squeak. "I like it. My name's Vanilla."

"N-nice to meet you," said Usagi. "I like your ears." His nose twitched, and he instantly blushed when he said this.

"Oh, thank you," Vanilla beamed. _I wonder what happened to HIS ear, poor thing._

"Hey, Tails!" he called suddenly. "Wait a tick, huh?"

Vanilla turned to see Tails and Cream up ahead a ways. Usagi ran ahead to catch up to them. "Oh," she whispered. "Well, they should be okay by themselves." She started walking towards the opposite hall of stores, deciding to indulge herself a little.

_Whew, that was close,_ Usagi thought. He caught up to the couple and started to calm down a little bit. "So, um, what did we need to get?" he asked Tails.

"Just some food," said Tails, widening his eyes a little, as if to say "Shut up, or you'll ruin it."

"Ah, okay." Usagi put his arms on the back of his head and turned to look at the music store. _You could've SAID it was a secret,_ he thought with a small laugh.

Tails felt his hand being squeezed slightly. He turned to see Cream with one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen. They slowed down to a very slow walk, all while never taking their eyes off of each other.

Usagi kept walking ahead of them, too interested in the bass guitars. He found the front door and turned to see if Tails was still behind him, but he saw him and Cream much further down than what he expected. "He won't mind," he chuckled. He slipped through the door and ogled like a cat in a treat shop.

**...**

A ways behind the doors of the music store, the two lovers found a bench and decided to take a small break. Tails gave Cream a small peck on the cheek. "I'm glad I got to see you before you turn fourteen," he said quietly. Cream turned and gave him a confused look. "I want to see your current beauty as much as I can before it becomes even more radiant."

Cream glowed with happiness. She hugged the love-struck fox tightly. "Thank you, Tails," she said, doing her best to hold in a giggle.

"You're welcome," he said, hugging her tightly. The next phrase came out as a whisper: "I love you."

"I love you too," Cream whispered through a small giggle. She pulled her head back and kissed him on the lips. Tails, though caught off guard, happily returned the favor. As if on cue, the overhead music switched to "Baby, I Love You" by The Ramones.

After releasing each other, Tails said, "Well, this song fits us perfectly."

"Well, I guess that's true," said Cream happily. She kissed his forehead. "Because, baby, I _do_ love you."

**...**

**Hello, Hola, Konichiwa, Ossu, and Peanut Butter...**

**I've been too busy lately.**

**But HEY! There are the stars of this story, together, finally!**

**Looks like it'll be a very fun party if it continues on like this...**

**I must away with me. So I can drink some Dr. Pepper, read more and then fall asleep.**

"**My eyes are puzzle pieces!"**

**-Usagi**


	6. They Called It Bunny Love

**Chapter 6 – They Called It Bunny Love**

Usagi poked his head out of the music store. The walls of the mall echoed with the sound of classic punk rock. A small chuckle escaped from his lips. He turned back to the store, humming the song to himself. He walked up to the front desk.

"Thanks again for playing that song," he told the clerk, a girl rabbit with smooth dark brown fur. She was facing away from him.

"No problem at all," she said, turning around. Her muzzle was a light tan with some freckle-like black spots. "I like anyone who appreciates punk rock." She smiled at him, her braced teeth glistening from the lights.

"You like punk, too?" quizzed Usagi.

"Most of it, yes," the girl replied. "Definitely the Ramones, though." She turned to show him a patch on the sleeve of her jacket.

"Wow, that's cool!" Usagi squeaked. _For f&*%'s sake, not again,_ he thought. He instantly blushed and his eyes started darting around.

The girl giggled. "Thank you," she replied. "Do you have everything for today?"

Usagi sighed. "Well, not yet." He gulped and looked in her eyes. "W-what's your name?"

The girl felt her face get a little bit warm. "It's Gloss," she said quietly.

"Gloss," repeated Usagi. "That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you," she replied. "So, what's _your _name?" She did her best to hold in a giggle.

"Uhh, U-usagi," the hybrid said shakily.

"That's very original," Gloss said with a smile. "Not many people name their children in Japanese."

"Yeah, I guess," Usagi muttered. He turned to walk away.

"Oh, Usagi!" Gloss suddenly sounded surprised.

"Yeah?"

"Your ear!" She slipped from behind the counter to look at it in better light.

"Oh, i-it's nothing." He squirmed, hoping to avoid her seeing the missing portion.

"Ohh, what happened?" She held his appendage gently and stroked the black fur that covered the huge cut.

"Oww!" Usagi squealed and winced. Her touch made it feel like knives jetting into his ear, and yet, it made him feel so... _swirly_.

"Oh, my God, Usagi!" Gloss gently let gravity be the holder of his ear before turning him around. "What on earth _happened_?"

"An accident, and that's all," said Usagi shortly. He sighed and started to turn away. "It was nice to meet you, Gloss."

She gave him a small hug, making him squeak a little. "Nice to have met you too, Usagi," she said.

"Huh?" A new voice had arrived, its owner directly behind them. The two turned to see Tails and Cream watching them. Tails was a bit surprised, Cream had a "how cute!" look on her face.

"Hey, Tails," they said in unison. Usagi shot Gloss a look. "You know Tails?"

"Yeah, he helps with the technical stuff in the store," said Gloss quickly.

_She's not that good a liar, _Usagi thought. _But, I can admire that._ He looked at Tails. "Didja need somefink?" he asked in a funny voice.

Tails laughed. "No, just wanted to say that we got all we needed," he said, still a little surprised.

Usagi was disappointed. _Damn, that means we have to leave, huh. _"Alright," he sighed. He gave a last smile to Gloss, and walked over towards the exit.

"The invitation still stands," hissed Tails, hoping that Cream didn't hear. Usagi's left ear twitched, and he turned around. Tails had meant for only Gloss to hear, but his sensitive ears picked it up too. Tails turned to look at Cream, but she apparently didn't hear. She was looking at the melodicas.

_She was invited? _Usagi's mind shifted. He felt a smile escape from his lips.

Tails and Cream walked up behind him, and they all left. "Did you see anything you liked in there?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, I suppose so," said Usagi, as if he was far away.

"Good," Tails replied, "maybe you'll have it to yourself one day."

Usagi looked at him out of the corner of his eye. _Does he know?_ His thoughts went unanswered.

_They look cute together, I have to admit it,_ thought Tails. He gave Cream a small peck on the cheek, making her blush mildly.

(...)

The lights of the music store seemed to be making Gloss warmer than usual. _I've never felt like this before,_ she thought. "Hey, boss, I'm going on my lunch break," she called.

"Awright, jus' make sure yeh come back on time," answered a gruff voice.

Gloss grabbed her handbag and left. "Don't I always?" she said to herself. She walked to the food court, but couldn't keep her mind at ease. _Usagi's so cute, but it looks like he's had a rough past... And he has the scent of a cat on him, which is really weird... But, he seems so harmless..._ She sighed and waited her turn for a salad from one of the booths. _I don't know, maybe he's not the kind of rabbit I think he is..._

Suddenly, a song switched on over the intercom. It was a simple guitar and bass riff, but the lyrics made Gloss feel very warm again.

Hey, baby girl, I wanna be your boyfriend  
Sweet little girl, I wanna be your boyfriend  
Do you love me babe? What do you say? Do you love me babe? What can I say?  
Because I wanna be your boyfriend...

(...)

Usagi smiled as he walked out of the mall, again listening to the Ramones' lyrics as if they were an elixir for life. _I guess being interrupted isn't always that bad,_ he thought. Tails and Cream had gone their separate ways, but he told her to go to his house tomorrow, at about six. The two boys met at the movie theatre, and started their trek towards home.

"So," said Usagi, "she still doesn't know about it?"

"Nope," Tails replied happily. "And what about Gloss?"

Usagi looked at him. "What _about_ Gloss?"

"She's invited, you know."

"Yeah, I heard..."

"So? Are you going to do anything about it?"

Usagi was quiet for a minute. "I don't know," he sighed.

Tails gave him a sly look. "She likes you, you know."

"How can you tell?" Usagi asked quickly. _Is he just playing with me?_

"Trust me, I know. She doesn't hug _every_ boy rabbit that comes into her store."

"I hope your instincts are right..." His voice drifted off.

(…)

**Hello, Ossu, Konnichiwa, etc.**

**Writer's block sucks ass, I tell ya.**

**But, the news about Japan has deeply saddened me, and that was partially why I haven't been as active. **

**Prayers to all of them. **

**So, there's another guest coming to Cream's party, yay!...**

**I'm not too good with emotions, haha.**

**Abayo! (See ya!)**

**-Usagi**


	7. Nature's Foul Humor

**Chapter 7 – Nature's Foul Humor**

The rest of the day played itself out fairly normally. The sun set over the mounds of green in the west, signaling the nightlife to begin to buzz. Clubs opened up with rap blasting away on the speakers, bars started to thrive with drunkards and jocks alike, all jibbering on who was to win that night's basketball game. Rouge, ever the attention-hound, headed out for the night, letting Shadow do as he wished for the time being - staring loathingly at the passerby. Amy carried on with putting away what was left of hers and Sonic's dinner. Even though they didn't live together, he seemed to be spending more and more time at her apartment recently.

Some ways away, the night carried on silently and peacefully. Tails shut his garage doors and went into the house. Usagi was dozing loudly on the couch with the current basketball game flickering in front of him on the TV.

"He really doesn't like sports, huh," Tails muttered with a small laugh. He grabbed the remote from the unconscious hybrid's left paw and turned the channel to Adult Swim, where a certain phrase had just started.

"I think it's time to blow this scene, get everybody and their stuff together. Okay, three two one, let's jam!"

Usagi's head snapped up as he instantly started humming the ensuing horn line that came from the TV. He stopped and looked at Tails. "I told ya, I don't like sports," he laughed.

Tails smiled. "I wouldn't have changed it, except you were snoring so loudly," he said, putting the remote on the table.

_I snore?_ Usagi thought. He sniffed loudly, and he snorted. "Yup, just a plugged up nose," he muttered. He got up, stretched, and went out of the room for some tissues.

Tails switched the channel to the news report, went to the kitchen, put the last of the burgers and punch in the fridge and poured himself a glass of ginger ale. "Now," he said, "if everything goes as smoothly as the trip to the store, then tomorrow should be here in no time." He heard Usagi sneeze and snort again in the other room. "Maybe I should pour him a glass of this with some Claritin dissolved in it," he half-pondered.

"I think _not_!" shouted Usagi from in the bathroom, making Tails jump. "I'd rather not be drugged, thank you kindly!"

Tails shook his head and grunted. "How did he-" he started, then remembered something similar that happened with Cream. _Rabbit ears, got it,_ he thought. "I was just kidding," he called.

"Uh-huh, _sure _you were," Usagi muttered. "I don't mind if you have pills, just tell me before doing stuff involving me." He walked into the living room and slumped lazily onto the couch.

Tails walked in and pulled the shades down. "Clouds are gathering," he said with a trace of fear in his voice.

"Hope it won't storm," Usagi said, some fear present in his voice as well. "Well, here's the weather report, right on cue."

Tails squirmed his way to the couch and sat down, holding his tails in front of him like they were blankets.

A badger popped up on the screen with a strange suit on. "And as for this weather, you can say hello to some clouds and gentle showers for the time being ("Dammit," Usagi hissed) if you are in Station Square, but the valleys should be clear for quite some time."

The two friends sighed with relief. Tails still held his makeshift blankets, however. He saw Usagi give him a look. "Thighs are cold," he said shortly. The hybrid shrugged and popped his neck. As he got up and went into the kitchen ("Want some ice cream," he said), Tails couldn't help but to think of Cream, and how the weather could throw whatever at her and she would be unfazed every time. _Crap, I hate being so afraid of lightning,_ he thought. He put his face in his palms and sighed. He heard Usagi swearing and fumbling with the ice cream in the kitchen, as well as a faint buzzing, conveniently taking the place of the cabbit's colorful language. Tails walked upstairs to find his phone was buzzing on his nightstand, with a name flashing on the caller ID that warmed his heart. He pushed the green button and put the phone to his ear. "Hi, Cream," he said warmly.

"Look outside for a second," was her reply. Puzzled, Tails looked out of his second-story window and strained his eyes against the dark. He could faintly see something moving back and forth as well as getting closer.

"Cream, I don't get it," Tails said softly. "What is-"

"Hold on," she said quickly. The shape floated up and shot directly towards him. Just as Tails grasped what happened, he had to put his hands out to catch it. His phone fell to the floor with a dull thud.

"Now do you get it?" Cream whispered into his ear.

Tails said nothing, but squeezed her tightly. "Yes," he replied, carrying her in through the window, "but why are you here?"

Cream looked hurt. "I heard the weather report and wanted to make sure you were okay," she pouted.

Tails, dumbstruck, sat her down on his bed. He gave her a kiss and said, "Thank you, but I just was curious as to how you made it here without your mom knowing."

Cream grinned. "She's quite a sleeper," she giggled. "It was easy, because she fell asleep while reading a book, so I slid out my window."

Tails laughed and yawned. "It looks like it won't be too bad tonight, though," he said. "At least you have your jacket on, so you weren't cold."

No sooner had Tails finished his sentence, a huge "crack" was heard with a huge flash of light, making him squeal and flee under the covers. Cream winced at the loud noise, but otherwise remained calm. She gently shushed Tails, putting her hand on his back. He was trembling and whimpering loudly.

"Shush, shush, honey, it's alright," she whispered soothingly. Tails slid out from under the covers and hugged her gently, still trembling.

Suddenly, there was a tremendous bang from downstairs, as well as a scream. "THAT F&%#ING BADGER _LIED!" _shouted Usagi at the top of his lungs. "I oughta kill that sum'bitch if I ever see him!" And just like that, it went fairly quiet again. Tails and Cream could hear the furious cabbit storming up the stairs, muttering something about "beating him until he coughs up onions." He knocked on his door and said "I'm fine, sorry about the noise," and went into his room.

Cream, relieved that Usagi hadn't poked his head inside, looked at Tails, but he had fallen asleep. She gently kissed his lips and snuggled up next to him, protecting him from the outside onslaught of rain and noise. Though his trembling didn't seem to cease, Tails slept deeply with his loving guardian by his side. She didn't mind his shivering, anyway; it actually kept her warm. She pulled him tighter and fell asleep, but not before uttering a simple phrase - "I love you."

**And scene!**

**I have procrastinated for MUCH too long on this, and I apologize.**

**I have a new laptop now (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT) and should be updating much more quickly than before, 'cos I graduated from high school. F*** YEA.**

**Points for guessing what caused Usagi to wake up in the beginning!**

**Okay, I'm tired, gotta sleep...**

**-Usagi (Class of 2011 FTW!)**


	8. A Match in the Mud

**Chapter 8 – A Match in the Mud**

The storm ravaged on through the night, giving the passerby in the city more than a few headaches. Everything from car accidents, basketball game jibbering, and even a few girl's dresses being splashed (a female bat doing most of the yelling) echoed its way up past the hills. The sounds were audible even on a floating isle quite a distance away. A lone figure emerged from one of its caves; long dreadlocks flowing from underneath a hood.

"Look, it's raining here too," he hissed. "So you _don't need to make it any worse by COMPLAINING ABOUT IT!" _The creature's scream seemed to shut up even nature; the rain slowed to a mere mist, and the city silenced, if only for a minute; a lone taxi horn honked, signaling everything to restart. The creature growled and put up one of its large, spiked fists. "Dammit, I want some-"

_KABOOOOOOM!_ A huge bolt of lightning drowned out his voice, but not his force. He punched the side of the wall, taking out a huge chunk of rock. He picked it up and hurled it as hard as he could out toward the horizon.

"Knuckles," echoed a voice, "are you okay?" Knuckles shook the hood off of his head before walking through a hallway. A large green gemstone was in the center of the room. He looked towards the middle of the gem, straining his purple eyes. A girl echidna's face appeared, looking concerned.

"Hmph, I'm fine," said Knuckles shortly. "Don't worry about it, Tikal."

She sighed. "I must. I hate to see a friend angry."

"I said I'm fine." Knuckles put his hood back up and walked outside, only to have a cloud of smoke enter his vision. He looked through it to the city, and found a fire emitting from a large truck, carrying what looked like gasoline. A large rock was sitting close by with red blotches on it. "Oops," he squeaked. He walked under a lip for shade from the rain and flipped off his hood. He sighed, slumped down to the floor, and watched the smoke slowly dissipate due to the consistent rhythm of the rain.

"Are you _sure _you're okay?" Tikal's voice echoed. Knuckles grunted and turned away from the hallway. "Listen, I just want to help. I think you need to find a friend."

"I've got friends," Knuckles said bitterly. "Sonic and Tails are my friends. Oh, wait..." He stood up and went into one of the caves, which was fitted into a bedroom. He fumbled through one of his drawers, eventually pulling out a small red cell phone. A message read, "This is Tails. Knux, u still going 2morrow? -G34rh34d5_Unite!" Knuckles started typing his reply, and hit send. "See?" he called. "Tails is my friend. That's good enough for me." He didn't sound too sincere, even to himself.

"Maybe," echoed Tikal, "but both he and Sonic have a significant other which they love dearly." (Knuckles felt his face grow warm.) "Don't you think you should follow their examples as well?"

Knuckles stood up and jumped off the isle, gliding down to the mountains. _I don't think so, Tikal. I don't deserve a girlfriend as it is, _he thought. The wind and rain flew through his dreadlocks, pushing off his hood. He reached up to push it back up when a front of wind lifted and pushed him to the left, directly into what felt like a metal tree.

"What was that for?" a deep voice said as Knuckles felt a shove. The tree turned out to be an armor-clad creature with glowing eye-holes. Knuckles leaped to his feet, baring his fists, and the opposing figure struck a karate pose, both preparing for a clash. Knuckles jumped forward, and swung at the figure, striking its helmet with a hollow 'clang.' "What, don't you recognize me?" asked the creature, apparently onfazed.

Knuckles scoffed. "Don't try that trick with me," he grunted. He did a sweeping kick to trip his opponent, but it jumped him, sending them both in a mud puddle. After a brief scuffle, the armored creature pushed Knuckles' face into the mud and stood on his wrists. "Grrf, lemme *spluff* go, dammit!" he spluttered.

"I don't think so," the victor said smugly. With a broad sweep, the helmet was pulled off of the creature's head. "Is that better?"

Knuckles suddenly recognized the figure as a girl. "Shade?" he asked in disbelief. "This isn't exactly the personality you had last time I saw you."

"In person," said the female echidna with a smile. "So that's the greeting you give to somebody you haven't seen for a while? Looks like you haven't changed at all."

Knuckles sneered. "Will ya at least get _off_ me?" he muttered, trying to keep the rain out of his eyes. "I can't really feel my hands because your damn boots are crushing my wrists."

"Missed you too," Shade pouted. She took a step backwards and sighed. "Are you alright?"

Knuckles stood up and rubbed his wrists for a second. "Fine," he said shortly, "but are you okay? I didn't know it was you."

Shade looked herself over for a second. "Nothing serious," she said. "A bit of a headache when you clipped my face, but nothing else."

Knuckles shot her a look. "Fell for it!" he yelled. He sprang forward and tackled her into the mud. Shade squealed and started rummaging through the muck, trying to find Knuckles' face.

"Your ass is grass!" she shouted. Through the rain and mud, something flashed red on her left side. "Gotcha!" She lunged for it, successfully grabbing Knuckles' tail. Knuckles yelped and jumped out of instinct. Shade was flipped onto her back with a resounding 'squish' from the mud. Knuckles landed on top of her with a 'splat'. Unexpectedly, Shade started to laugh. "I guess you _have _changed a little," she giggled. Knuckles looked at himself, then Shade, then himself again; almost every square inch covered in mud, dirt and grass. Then he started laughing too.

"What a mess, huh," he panted. He got up and offered Shade his hand. She took the offer, but noticed that Knuckles wasn't really being any help. She looked at him, noticing that he was staring at their hands, his mouth hanging somewhat slack. The rain washed off all the muck from their faces, revealing the fact that they were both a deep shade of crimson.

Shade's legs had unintentionally turned to Jell-o, and she fell sideways, pulling herself and Knuckles into a soft patch of grass. Knuckles grunted and pulled himself up, suddenly realizing how close their lips were. Shade noticed, and saw him draw closer, and slowly close his eyes. She did the same, her mind almost frozen in anticipation.

"Oh, crap!" Knuckles said in an instant. Shade opened her eyes and saw him looking past her, towards the deeper mountains. "The Master Emerald! Dammit, how could I forget?" He looked down at the disappointed echidna below him. It took him a minute to come up with a good filler for his outburst – "Duty calls." _Yeah, GREAT reason, idiot, _he thought furiously._ She was right in front of you..._

"Of course," said Shade. "Duty calls. I know that as well as you do." Knuckles helped her up, but not before feeling his face grow warm again. "Thanks for the fun, Knuckles."

"Uh-huh," he grunted, "but a quick question; what're ya doing out here anyway?"

Shade looked around. "I needed a shelter, and you ended up being the closest one nearby." Knuckles' expression showed that he didn't buy it. Shade bent down to grab her helmet from the mud. "And besides, I missed you."

Suddenly, right as she turned around, Knuckles pressed his lips onto hers, emitting a force even he could reckon with. Shade felt like she was floating, with only the red echidna directly in contact with her to keep them floating through their temporary cruise. And so they did for a few seconds longer, until nature's key element forced them to break away. "I missed you, too" said Knuckles in between breaths. He took her hand and said "If you really need to, I have a space for you at the Island."

Shade nodded with a big smile. "I'd really appreciate it," she replied. She gave him a peck on the cheek, and they started walking toward Angel Island, paying no mind to the rain. She held onto Knuckles tightly as he climbed up the walls to their shelter.

_"You see, Knuckles?" _Tikal's voice, only audible to Knuckles, echoed. _"It is entirely possible to tell people your feelings, and ultimately have it be rewarding."_

_ Yeah, yeah, _Knuckles thought while rolling his eyes. _So you were getting onto something earlier. I'll give you that, Tikal. I just happen to like discovering things on my own._

_"And discover it you did," _chimed Tikal. _"That's a good sign of a strong will. And Shade truly deserves a strong willed lover to keep her going."_

Knuckles looked over his shoulder to see his new love staring into his eyes. _I guess I needed someone, too,_ he thought with a small smirk, _to help me have a little fun once in a while._

**And another one gone.**

**See? I SAID I'd update faster, and I did!...**

**Which is a surprise 'cos I was at my dad's, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans was on, and I like racing... Just not NASCAR. They can go off and burn somewhere.**

**But, anyway, UPDATES! Yay, updates. **

**Sorry if Shade or Knuckles was OOC, I tried making them more "playful." =3**

**I'm off. You lot keep a good thought!**

**-Usagi**


	9. Beginnings

**Chapter 9 – Beginnings**

The storm had mostly blown itself out by dawn, but a gentle rain was still falling. A small ray of the rising sun flashed its way through the clouds and into Tails' bedroom. Both he and Cream were still in deep sleep, their dreams intertwined just like their bodies. Tranquility and an occasional snort were the only things emitting from the room. The same couldn't be said across the hall, for Usagi was struggling and twitching in an internal Hell.

He was standing alone, in a misty field. "What is this," he muttered. He looked around to see if there was anything or anyone else in the field, but there wasn't. "Hello?" he cried, but the only audible reply was an echo.

Suddenly he felt something tap his shoulder. He spun around with a start, only to see gray vapor. An instinct told him to run, but he pushed against it, remaining in the same spot. Suddenly, there was a terrible jolt, lifting him off his feet. A yelp rolled past the field, meeting nobody's interest. A gigantic hand had risen out of the ground with a lunge. It grabbed Usagi by the torso, and slammed him onto the ground. He tried to shout for help, but a mere squeal managed to escape his lips. Another hand came out of the ground and grabbed his right ear, holding it as if it was a tick. Usagi's squeals filled the realm, causing more cracks to form in the ground.

"_Accept your fate, you pitiful creature!" _A voice went off like a shot._"You shall die like your father; weak, crying, and BROKEN!" _The second hand pulled forcefully, making Usagi wail. A horrible ripping sound filled his eardrums, as well as a shot of blood. The ominous voice from before started to laugh horridly. The ground had cracked completely open, swallowing the terrified hybrid and the hands.

Suddenly, a loud 'thud' shattered the walls of Usagi's dream as he lunged forward with a scream. He recognized the white finish on his wall, the sound of rain pattering on the window, the blue numbers on a clock reading 6:58, and the small stuffed tiger next to him. He sighed and laid his head back onto his pillow. _What's with these dreams about my ear,_ he wondered. He got up and looked in the mirror. The black fur growing where the sever was had fallen past where his ear ended. "Still just as 'broken' as ever," he hissed. _And one more thing, _he pondered, _what was that thud, anyway?_ He opened his door and went to the bathroom. _It's probably nothing._

**…**

Tails groaned and opened his eyes. He saw that his nightstand was above him, instead of beside him, and he felt much colder than a second before. "W-what the?" he wondered aloud. He rubbed his eyes and felt for the covers, but instead grabbed his shoe. _Oh, wow,_ he thought._ Did I just..._

Cream poked her head over the side of the bed. "Are you okay, Tails?" she whispered fiercely. She put her hand out to help him up.

"Fine," said Tails thickly. He grabbed her hand, swooned a little and rubbed his forehead. "Umm, what just happened?"

"I don't really know," Cream replied. "I just felt the covers slip off of me, and I heard you hit the floor." She found herself trying very hard to hold in a giggle.

Tails sat down on his bed next to Cream. "So I just flipped out of bed?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, it's a pretty effective alarm clock, I guess." He laughed, making Cream sigh in relief.

"I'm glad you aren't hurt," she said, giving him a hug. "That wouldn't have been much of a birthday present."

Tails nearly fell backwards. _How could've I forgotten? _"Then, how's this?" he recovered. He leaned forward and kissed Cream on the lips. She giggled and returned the pleasure. Tails gently leaned forward, pushing them both onto the bed. Their tongues slithered together intensely, cementing the moment into their subconscious.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Both of their eyes snapped open in horror. They didn't dare move a muscle. "Tails," Usagi called, "you alright in there?" The doorknob clicked, he walked in, and saw Tails and Cream staring at him, blushing as their lips connected. Usagi blinked and felt his nose twitch. _Oh, shit, _he thought. The three stayed in their places, as if frozen. "Good to see you're alright, then," he said after what felt like five minutes. "G'morning, Cream," he said as he shut the door, "and happy birthday."

The door shut, and the two released each other with a sigh. "Umm," Cream mumbled, "I should probably go."

"No, no," said Tails, almost instinctively. "Not in the rain, you'll catch a cold. At least stay for breakfast, please?" Tails felt his eyes widen like a puppy's.

"Oh, okay," Cream said with a smile. "You really do that sappy dog look well." She gave him a peck on the forehead.

_Sappy?_ Tails scowled a little while she got up. "So, you go get freshened up, and I'll get breakfast situated." Cream nodded and walked out of the room. Tails got up with a small groan. Some small pops escaped his joints as he stretched. He put on a pair of sweats and walked to Usagi's room. He was popping zits in front of his mirror. "Why do you do that?" Tails asked, mildly disgusted.

Usagi jumped sideways with a small yelp. "Could you give me some kinda warning, please?" he hissed. Tails' expression suggested otherwise. "It's 'cos I want them off of my face."

"There's soap for that in the bathroom," said Tails shortly.

"And I don't like having goop all over my face," Usagi snorted. "Besides, this is quicker."

"You're bleeding," Tails said, pointing to his muzzle.

"Ah, dammit," hissed Usagi. He padded his chin with a sock that had some other red specks on it.

"I'll be cooking breakfast, if you wanna help," said Tails, getting to the point. "Just, seriously, wash your _paws_ before you do, okay?"

"Yep, yep," muttered Usagi. He resumed looking his face over, picking at any remaining zits.

**…**

Tails put his plate next to Cream's. He grabbed the juice and whipped cream and sat down. "Dig in whenever you're ready," he told her.

"What about Usagi?" she asked. He was on the couch with his plate on his lap.

"Hm?" He turned at the mention of his name. "Oh, I don't wanna intrude," he said quickly.

"No, no, it's no trouble at all," Cream replied. "Come on, there's another seat left."

"Alright," he muttered. He got up and put his plate next to Tails', poured a glass of milk, and sat down. "You sure this is okay?"

"Yeah, anyone's welcome at this table," Tails said. "Don't be so timid."

"Okay," Usagi said meekly. The three friends started to eat their meal, but something caught Cream off guard.

"Umm, Usagi?" she asked. "You do realize that you just ate a sausage link, right?"

"Yup," he replied. "I love sausage. Why?"

"Well..." she paused. "You're a rabbit. We're usually herbivores."

"Oh," Usagi said with a small laugh. "I'm part cat." (Cream flinched lightly at this.) "Look." He opened his mouth widely, showing some of his feline inheritance; sharp, pointed teeth that glimmered in the light. Cream caught a whiff of his breath and felt her eyes start to water. "I probably should have told you earlier," he said quietly. "That's why I like milk, too." He noticed Cream looking a little nervous. "But don't worry, I wouldn't dream of harming you."

Tails patted Cream on the shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked. Usagi looked concerned as well. _Maybe I should've laid off the meat for today,_ he thought.

Cream blinked and turned to Tails. "I'm fine," she replied reassuringly. "I would've never guessed, Usagi."

He shrugged. "I don't think I do anything else differently," he said. "Except I can't swim." He shook his head and shuddered.

"Oh, but that's so much fun," said Cream. "I'm sorry."

"Ah, it's okay. Don't let your pancakes get cold," he replied. He shoved a small pile into his mouth to try and lift the mood.

"You may be a cabbit, but you eat like a pig," said Tails. "Or Sonic when it comes to chili dogs." The three laughed and finished off their breakfast. Usagi scampered upstairs, muttering something about "finishing some work", while Tails made himself busy with cleaning up.

Cream found him after, and gave him a hug. "This looks like a great beginning to being fourteen," she said. "Thank you, Tails."

Tails kissed her gently on the cheek. "Only the best for the girl I love," he replied.

**Scene!**

**I had been sitting on this for awhile, but for some reason, haven't uploaded it.**

**Oh, I remember why... I was at Anime Expo for three days, and didn't have time.**

**So, anyway, I wanted to show some annoyance between Tails and Usagi, and him walking in on them seemed to fit the bill nicely. The zits was just a bonus.**

**The long awaited day is here at last...**

**-Usagi**


	10. Oddities

**Chapter 10 – Oddities**

Hangar doors lazily shuddered open, letting a little bit of rain enter the garage. Inside, a red biplane sat motionless, the cockpit being gently barraged by the rain. Tails shielded his eyes and ducked beneath one of the wings for protection from the rain. "I really hope this rain quits," he hissed. "If it doesn't, my plans will be ruined!"

"What plans?" Tails spun around to see Cream gazing innocently into his eyes. "What were you talking about?"

Tails felt himself start to sweat. _Oh, no, _he thought,_ if she finds out, the surprise is a bust! _"Umm, nothing," he said, mentally fishing for an excuse. _Come on,_ _anything that's not too corny... _"I... wanted to work on my tan." _Yeah, great one, genius._

Cream giggled. "I like your shade just fine, honey," she said, rubbing the fur on his arm. "Although, I think you could use a little sun. You feel a little clammy."

"Do I? I hadn't noticed," Tails fibbed. "Oh, is it really 7:48? We should get moving!" He pulled her into the passenger side of the Tornado. "I don't want your mom to worry."

"Tails, take it easy!" Cream pulled him into the seat next to her and patted his hand. "I left a note on my pillow, anyway. She should know where I am."

Tails was at a loss for words. "Yeah," he sighed. "It's just, you're still in your pajamas. You should get some real clothes on at some point today."

Cream gave him a sly look. "You're one to talk," she said, "because you almost never wear anything except shoes and gloves." Tails looked at his sweatpants and scowled a little. "I said _almost,_ didn't I?" Cream asked with a slight smirk.

Tails looked at his chest, then at Cream with a definitive expression on his face. Cream blushed a little, obviously getting his point. "That's because boys can get away with it, I suppose," said Tails.

Cream pouted a little. "Alright, you can take me home," she sighed as Tails turned towards the front end of the plane. "But first..." She leaned towards Tails with a slight smile.

He turned from the window just at the right moment and his lips met hers with pure bliss. They pulled each other close, neither wanting to let the other go. Tails felt the material of Cream's pajamas rub against his fur. _Oh, God, _he thought,_ they're silk! _The material made its way to the skin on his chest, making him moan slightly. He slipped his tongue into Cream's mouth, forcing more emotion into the kiss than he ever had before. Cream returned a soft moan and wrestled her tongue with Tails'. Nothing except for air could pull them away, and it eventually did. The pair released each other, taking in heaving breaths and gazing into each others eyes.

"Well," Cream panted, "I think I'll enjoy being fourteen, if this is how it starts." She gave Tails a hug.

"I certainly hope so," Tails replied, "because I think I will." He chuckled lightly and squeezed her back.

**…**

"Jesus, Tails!" Usagi was upstairs in the office area, listening for the plane to take off. "If you don't leave soon, she might get suspicious and want to look around!" He growled lightly and reached into his glove. He pulled out a small pink cell phone. "You _said _that you needed a reason for her to come back later, and this is a damn good idea, if it'll work." He flipped the phone open and made sure it was off. Just then, the house phone rang, making him jump slightly. "Shit, I thought it was this one," he groaned. He put Cream's phone in a small drawer behind the computer and dove downstairs to answer the other phone. "Hello, Prower residence," he said.

"Umm, Miles?" a female voice replied. "Is that you?"

"Nope, Usagi speaking," he said. "Who's this?"

"Oh, hello dear!" the voice said. "It's Vanilla Rabbit, from the mall yesterday. Do you remember?"

"How could I forget?" he joked, trying to not sound nervous. "How are you this morning?"

"Well, I'm fine, but I was wondering if I could speak to Miles?"

"Umm, you just missed him," Usagi lied. "He's gone to the store to, y'know, buy some, uh, mints."

"Oh, rats," Vanilla said. "Well, could you tell him I called, please?"

"Right, yeah," Usagi replied quickly.

"Oh, Usagi?" Vanilla asked, much to his displeasure. "Also, have you seen Cream there at all?"

"Err, nope," Usagi squeaked. _For f***'s sake, _he thought angrily.

"Okay, thank you, dear," Vanilla said before hanging up.

Usagi threw down the phone. "Dammit, Tails," he hissed, "scram outta here! Vamoose!" No sooner had he said that he heard the engine of the Tornado switch on. "Good," he sighed, "now if you'd just get going."

Suddenly, the garage door burst open with Tails flying through. "Gangway, look out!" he yelled.

"What the hell?" Usagi shouted. "What are you _doing_?"

"I have to pee," Tails half-whined. He flew upstairs as Usagi face-palmed himself and swore. About a minute later, Tails slid down the banister. "You still got 'it'?"

Usagi pointed upstairs twice. "Now get outta here!" he barked. "Vanilla just called here asking for you and/or Cream!"

"Oh, crap!" Tails turned and nearly ran into the door. "I'll be back soon!"

"Go on, git!" Usagi shouted. He threw a box of tissues at the door to rush the fox out.

…

"You took a while inside the house," Cream said after they took off. "Was anything wrong?"

"No, I just, well, had to pee," Tails said nervously. _Why does every teenager have to deal with hormones, _he thought. _It's a good thing Usagi didn't question me, or I would've been in trouble._

"Umm, okay, then," said Cream with uncertainty. She looked at the rain making patterns on the cockpit window.

"Are you okay?" Tails asked. "You're unusually quiet."

"Oh," Cream sighed, "it's just I was hoping I could go swimming on my birthday, but it's raining, and I don't see any clear skies."

Tails felt his ear twitch, and looked at her in the mirror. "You wanted to go swimming?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Maybe I could've shown Usagi that it's a lot of fun to swim, but I guess not." She turned to face him. "But, I _did_ get to spend the first seven hours of it with you, so I guess it evens out."

Tails felt himself blush a little. "I'm glad you feel that way, because I'm glad I got to spend this much time with you, too." His mind shifted into overdrive, and the rest of the trip to Cream's house became a mental mush.

Cream stopped trying to start any conversation after being ignored twice. _He seems different than usual, _she thought. _Do I... bore him? _She whimpered lightly and stared back at the drenched window. "Tails, my house is right there," she said loudly.

Tails blinked, muttered something in reply and pushed the wheel forward. They descended and touched down right by the front door. "Wait here," he grunted. He opened the door and looked up, checking to see if the wing offered any protection from the rain. "All clear," he called.

Cream got up and walked toward the door, but couldn't see Tails. "Where are you?" she called. She turned to look in the plane, but felt him kiss her before she could flip all the way around. "You little sneak," she said with a small smile. She reached behind her and gently knocked on the door. After a second, they heard the lock click and saw Vanilla pull the door open.

"Oh, Miles, there you are," she said. She looked at Cream with a smile. "I'm glad you're back, birthday girl!" She hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, mom," she replied. She opened her eyes towards Tails and winked at him. "Love you," she mouthed.

"I love you, too," Tails mouthed back. He gently slipped back into the plane and shut the door behind him. He pushed a button to start the engine for just the wheels, and the plane started rolling away. _And I'm home free, _Tails thought with a sigh of relief. _I thought she would've noticed her phone was gone at some point._

Cream and Vanilla went inside the house and sat down at the kitchen table. "You saw my note, right?" Cream asked nervously.

"Yes," said Vanilla sternly, "but I think it was a little bit careless of you to go in only your pajamas and robe."

Cream blinked. "Oh, yeah," she muttered, not caring about her appearance at the moment. "Sorry, mom." _I wonder if Tails liked the idea, anyway, _she thought.

"Did you get my call?" Vanilla asked. "I called you about fifteen minutes ago."

Cream gave her a quizzical look and reached in her robe pocket. "Uh oh," she squeaked. She checked her pockets again, but there wasn't anything but lint. "Umm, I think I left my phone at Tails' house," she said nervously.

"That's odd," Vanilla replied. "You usually always have it with you."

**…**

**Ooh, cliffhanger... again. **

**I have to stop that... but whatever.**

**Been job-hunting (f***in' hate it, too) so updates may come slower, I dunno.**

**...Ahh, Tails, all we boys have to deal with hormones. It suck, don't it. =D**

**Anyway, I'm off.**

**-Usagi**


End file.
